CONSOLIDATE ELECTION PRECINCTS - S.B. 983: FLOOR ANALYSIS
Senate Bill 983 (as reported without by the Committee of the Whole)
Sponsor: Senator Bev Hammerstrom
Committee: Government Operations
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Election Law to allow the consolidation of election precincts for an election, under certain conditions.
The bill provides that if a city, ward, township, or village were divided into two or more election precincts, the city, ward, township, or village election commissioners could, by resolution, consolidate the election precincts for a particular election that was not a general November election or the primary election immediately preceding it, or other statewide or Federal election. In making the determination to consolidate, the election commission would have to take into consideration the number of choices the voter would have to make, the percentage of registered voters who voted at the last similar election in the jurisdiction, and the intensity of the interest of the electors in the jurisdiction concerning the candidates and proposals to be voted upon.
Unless the polling places for the precincts to be consolidated were located in the same building, to consolidate election precincts for a particular election the election commissioners, or other designated election officials, would have to do both of the following:
-- Provide notice to the registered electors of the affected election precincts of the consolidation of precincts for the election, and the location of the polling place for the election precinct or precincts for that election. Notice could be provided by mail or other method designed to provide actual notice to the registered electors.
-- Post a written notice at each election precinct polling place stating the location of the consolidated election precinct polling place.
A consolidation of precincts could not be made less than 60 days before a primary, general, or special election. If a city, ward, township, or village consolidated precincts, each affected precinct would have to be treated as a whole unit and not divided during the consolidation.
Proposed MCL 168.659 - Legislative Analyst: G. Towne
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State government. The fiscal impact on local government is indeterminate. However, the consolidation of precincts could save local units money used for administrative costs. It is possible that local units of government would have to hire fewer precinct workers.
Date Completed: 4-5-00 - Fiscal Analyst: E. LimbsFloor\sb983 - Bill Analysis @ http://www.state.mi.us/sfa
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.